top of page

ND EPSCOR STATE Conference

October 21 at NDSU

2025 Annual ND EPSCOR STATE Conference

Save the date! next year's conference will be held on october 20, 2026 in minot

About the conference

ND EPSCoR invites all faculty, students, and postdoctoral fellows from North Dakota (ND) institutions of higher education to attend our 2025 ND EPSCoR Annual State Conference. This one-day, statewide conference to be held at the NDSU Memorial Union in Fargo on Tuesday, October 21, 2025, is intended for all ND faculty, post-doctoral fellows, graduate and undergraduate students, and STEM professionals. The conference will be preceded by a No-Stress Networking event on the evening of Monday, October 20 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm.

​

The conference's focus is to provide opportunities to share research results and promote opportunities for collaboration in STEM fields. We encourage presentations and posters on topics related to fundamental and applied research, broader impacts, broadening participation, K-20 STEM education, and workforce development. We encourage faculty who are newcomers to EPSCoR programs to engage to learn more about statewide collaboration opportunities. 

 

We have reached conference capacity and registration is now closed. Please email ndepscor@ndus.edu with questions about the conference.

Planned sessions

We will share a full conference agenda soon. Our planned sessions include:

  • Remarks from our NSF Program Officer Jose Colom-Ustariz.

  • Presentation on The Collaboration Playbook: The Science (and Art) of Working Together.

  • Panel on Strengthening Collaborations: Key Principles, Practices, and Policies for Engaging with Tribal Partners.

  • Concurrent presentation sessions.​

Call for Speakers and Poster Presentations

Abstracts for oral or poster presentations on any STEM topic including research, broader impacts, broadening participation, workforce development, and education may be submitted by undergraduate and graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and faculty from any educational institution in ND. Abstract submissions from researchers and students supported by the NSF RII Track-1 project, ND-ACES, other NSF EPSCoR Programs (i.e., TCUP, Track-2, and Track-4), and EPSCoR-like programs are highly encouraged.

 

Abstract Format and Submission Details

Abstracts are to be less than 250 words and submitted through the NDSU Submission Portal.


The deadline for submission is September 10, 2025.

 

Abstract submission needs to contain a title (15-word limit), author(s) with title(s) and affiliation(s), the individual presenting identified, and the abstract text (not to exceed 250 words with spaces)

 

Notification of selected abstracts will be provided by September 17, 2025. The notification will include details on conference registration, and presentation formats for both oral and poster presentations. Selected presenters must register for the conference by the registration deadline or risk having their presentation removed from the program.​

Travel arrangements

Participants can reserve rooms at the Canad Inn at the state rate of $96.30. The room block is called “EPSCoR State Conference.” Reservations can be made by calling the Canad Inn at (701) 772-8404 or 888-332-2623. Individual state employees will need to provide their tax exempt number at time of reservation. The room block will be available until October 28.

conference Agenda

The conference will begin at the NDSU Memorial Union Oceti Sakowin Ballroom

Poster presentation guidelines

  • Your poster should be no larger than 4 feet wide by 3 feet high.

  • Give appropriate acknowledgment to funding sources.

  • Use the academic (not athletic) logo of your campus.

  • Posters must be in place by 8:30 a.m. the day of the conference.

  • Posters cannot be removed before 4:30 p.m.

  • Pushpins will be provided to secure your poster to the stand.

  • You will be assigned a numbered location at conference check-in.

  • Allotted exhibit space allows for just one presenter (first author) per poster.

  • Presenters will need to print their own poster and transport it to the conference.

Travel Arrangements

Hotels

Conference attendees and presenters are responsible for making their own travel arrangements. The following hotels accept the North Dakota state lodging rate.

parking

Parking information was emailed to registrants on October 17. Click to view a map of NDSU campus parking lots. If you did not receive the parking instructions, please email nicole.m.mattson@ndus.edu.

2024 Bio & Biomedical Computation Networking Seminar logo

UND, NDSU, & ND-ACES are sponsoring a pre-conference networking seminar on bio and biomedical computation before the ND EPSCoR Annual Conference. 

​

This evening networking seminar is to be held at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks on November 20, 2024, from 5 pm to 8 pm, and is intended for all ND faculty, post-doctoral fellows, graduate and undergraduate students. Appetizers will be provided. The event will include two rounds of oral presentations, a poster session, and a networking session.

2024 Annual State Conference Presentations

2024 Annual State Conference Presentations

2024 Annual State Conference Presentations
Dr. Rebecca Heise

Dr. Rebecca Heise

55:03
Dr. Andy Nonaka

Dr. Andy Nonaka

30:43
Dr. Jose Colom-Ustariz

Dr. Jose Colom-Ustariz

32:45
TCU panel: Nurturing STEM and Research at ND Tribal Colleges and Universities

TCU panel: Nurturing STEM and Research at ND Tribal Colleges and Universities

56:12

Conference opening and land acknowledgement

8:30 AM, Ballroom

  • James J. Doolittle, Head of Operations, ND EPSCoR, with a greeting, discussion of conference logistics, and introduction of speakers

  • Twyla Baker, Vice Chair of ND EPSCoR State Steering Committee and President, Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College, with an opening prayer

  • Heidi Grunwald, PI for ND-ACES and Interim Vice President for Research and Creative Activity, NDSU, with a land acknowledgement and introduction of President Cook

  • David Cook, President, NDSU, with opening comments

  • Brent Sanford, Commissioner, North Dakota University System, with opening comments

  • Twyla Baker with opening comments

We collectively acknowledge that we gather at NDSU, a land grant institution, on the traditional lands of the Oceti Sakowin (Dakota, Lakota, Nakoda) and Anishinaabe Peoples in addition to many diverse Indigenous Peoples still connected to these lands. We honor with gratitude Mother Earth and the Indigenous Peoples who have walked with her throughout generations. We will continue to learn how to live in unity with Mother Earth and build strong, mutually beneficial, trusting relationships with Indigenous Peoples of our region.

Navigating the New Funding Priorities at NSF*

9:05 AM, Ballroom

NSF EPSCoR Program Director Jose Colom-Ustariz​

​

Dr. Colom-Ustariz has a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering with a focus in Microwave Engineering from Penn State University, a MSEE from UMass in Microwave Remote Sensing and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez.​

​

After more than 25 years of experience in academia, in both research and education, as well as in administration, Dr. Colom-Ustariz joined NSF EPSCoR as a permanent Program Director. As a Program Director in EPSCoR he oversees the National Science Foundation's "gold standard" merit review process and helps define new funding opportunities focusing in the EPSCoR community. Some of the key responsibilities include interacting with potential principal investigators, forming and facilitating merit review panels, recommending funding decisions, and overseeing active awards.​

 

His research interests are in the area of Weather Radars, and while at UPRM he participated in the NSF CASA ERC and also received an NSF MRI to develop a Weather Radar Network for the Puerto Rico West Coast.

​

*If Dr. Colom-Ustariz is unable to join us due to the federal government shutdown, we will hear from colleagues who applied for E-COREs or E-RISEs on what they learned as they went through the application process.

ND Higher Education STEM Asset Map Project update

9:30 AM, Ballroom

Loren Intolubbe-Chmil and Kathy Froelich​

​

ND EPSCoR has begun the process of measuring research capacity at North Dakota institutions of higher education. The goal of our North Dakota higher education STEM asset mapping project is to identify and analyze the strengths of institutions in the areas of research, education, research administration and workforce development, so that together we can bring more research grant dollars to North Dakota colleges and universities.

​

​The objective of this asset mapping project is to produce a clear, data-driven understanding of the research and education assets within the higher education sector across the state. The information gathered will be used to:

  • Identify existing strengths in research capabilities, research administration, and infrastructure.

  • Identify educational programs, areas of expertise, and interdisciplinary initiatives.

  • Identify workforce development programs and industry partnerships aimed at skill-building and employment readiness.

  • Assist in ND EPSCoR efforts for creating strategic partnerships.​

 

ND EPSCoR has engaged the consulting firm CoreCollaborative International (CCI) to lead data collection and analysis for this project. CCI is led by Dr. Loren Intolubbe-Chmil, with support from Dr. Kathryn Froelich.

The Collaboration Playbook: The Science (and Art) of Working Together

11:10 AM, Ballroom

Onnolee Nordstrom and Jennifer Schillinger​

​

In today’s fast-paced and complex workplaces, assembling a high-performing team requires more than just technical skills — it demands the right blend of character, collaboration, and perspective. High-performing teams aren’t built by accident—they’re shaped by the character of their members and the diversity of perspectives around the table. Participants will leave with an understanding of the qualities that define an ideal team player and actionable strategies for cultivating effective teams.

 

Onnolee Nordstrom, Ph.D., brings energy and curiosity to her work as the President Jim Ozbun Endowed Chair of Entrepreneurship at North Dakota State University. She also directs NDSU’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Family Business, where she helps students, researchers, and community partners turn ideas into action.

​

An award-winning professor and published scholar, Dr. Nordstrom’s research ranges from family business and community entrepreneurship to the science of collaboration itself. She has helped lead NSF-funded initiatives like I-Corps and the new E-CORE: Sustainable Programs Advancing Research and Knowledge in North Dakota (SPARK-ND) project that is bringing together universities, Tribal Colleges, industry, and communities across North Dakota. Her passion lies in understanding what makes collaborations “click”—how diverse people, ideas, and disciplines come together to create discoveries and drive change.

​

Jennifer Schillinger is passionate about community, experiential learning, and mentorship. Following an undergraduate degree in Education, Communication Studies and Psychology, she received her Masters in Counseling and Student Affairs from Minnesota State University Moorhead, and later received an Executive Masters in Business Administration from Quantic University, and a Masters in Global Theology from Trinity Bible College. Jennifer currently serves as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) walking with people toward integration and wholeness and helps coordinate the NDSU Center for Entrepreneurship and Family Business Problems to Possibilities program.

Lunch and Panel discussion

12:00 PM, Ballroom

Strengthening Collaborations: Key Principles, Practices, and Policies for Engaging with Tribal Partners

Moderated by Sheridan McNeil, Director of Tribal Partnerships, ND EPSCoR

​

Panelists:

  • Twyla Baker, Ph.D., NHSC President

  • Austin Allard, Ph.D., TMC Engineering Faculty, NSF SPARK-ND PI

  • Amber Finley, Ph.D. NHSC Director of Research & Development/Science Faculty, NSF SPARK-ND PI

  • Mandy Guinn, UTTC Environmental Science Chair/Faculty, NSF SPARK-ND PI

  • Brent Voels, Ph.D., TMC and CCCC Faculty, CCCC NSF SPARK-ND PI​​​

concurrent presentations session A

1:15 PM

Group 1 - Prairie Rose Room

Moderated by Archana Dhasarathy

​

Group 2 - Sahnish Room

Moderated by Amber Finley

​

Group 3 - Hidatsa Room

Moderated by Khang Hoang

concurrent presentations session B

3:05 PM

Group 1 - Prairie Rose Room

Moderated by Hilde van Gijssel

 

Group 2 - Sahnish Room

Moderated by Uwe Burghaus

​

Group 3 - Hidatsa Room

Moderated by Jim Doolittle

concurrent presentations session C

4:10 PM

Group 1 - Prairie Rose Room

Moderated by Brent Voels

​

Group 2 - Sahnish Room

Moderated by Mandy Guinn

 

Group 3 - Hidatsa Room

Moderated by Prakash Parthiban Selvakumar

special thanks to our poster competition judges

  • Austin Allard, TMC

  • Aaron Bergstrom, UND

  • Mikhail Bobylev, MiSU

  • Colin Combs, UND

  • Archana Dhasarathy, UND

  • Van Doze, UND

  • Amber Finley, NHSC

  • Mandy Guinn, UTTC

  • Britt Heidinger, NDSU

  • Samanthika Hettiarachchi, DSU

  • Jinasena Hewage, DSU

  • Alena Kubatova, UND

  • Trung Le, NDSU

  • Onnolee Nordstrom, NDSU

  • Prakash Parthiban Selvakumar, NDSU

  • Bryant Smalley, UND

  • Hilde van Gijssel, VCSU

  • Stefan Vetter, NDSU

  • Brent Voels, TMC

ND EPSCoR logo

Physical/shipping address
ND EPSCoR
1805 NDSU Research Park Dr N
Fargo, ND 58102

Phone: (701) 231-8400

Email: ndepscor@ndus.edu

NSF EPSCoR logo

Mailing/billing address
ND EPSCoR
NDSU Dept. 4450
PO Box 6050
Fargo, ND 58108-6050

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Bluesky icon2
  • YouTube
Sign up for our newsletter
bottom of page